It might be time to reconsider how most of us treat minor burns. The age-old practice is to immediately run the burn under cold water for as long as possible. But a new study suggests just the opposite — warm water may actually help skin recover better after a burn.
Fox News reports on a study recently published in the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery. Researchers in Switzerland administered small burns to the backs of anesthetized rats and tracked the recovery process. The control group of rats had no treatment following the burn. Another group was treated with gauze soaked in very cool water (about 63 degrees Fahrenheit) and a third group was treated with skin-temperature water (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit). The rats were observed after 1 hour, 24 hours, 4 days, and 7 days.
After 24 hours, the control rats had the greatest amount of skin damage. The injury had moved beyond the immediate burn area and extended into underlying tissues. After four days, all the rats had tissue damage in the burned areas and surrounding skin, but the damage was notably less in the rats treated with warm water.
Lead researcher Reto Wettstein, a hand surgeon in Switzerland, noted that cold water on a burn feels good initially because it helps dull the pain. However, prolonged exposure can lead to abnormally low skin temperature and reduced blood flow. Dr. Wettstein notes that he personally uses cool water for about a minute on burns, then switches to warm water for improved circulation.
We've always done cold water treatment on burns because it seems intuitive to lower the temperature of the burning skin as quickly as possible. But this study makes sense — even warm water will help lower the high temperature of burned skin, and it won't compromise blood flow. That's certainly a critical part of burn recovery. Cellular sentinels in the bloodstream are programmed to rush in and begin damage control whenever the body is injured. If circulation slows, damage repair is delayed and healing can't begin as quickly.
Next time I hear my kids howl after touching a hot dinner plate, or I feel the sear on my own skin from a blazing cookie sheet, we'll try the warm water trick. The scientists in me is already itching to gather some experiential data.
How do you usually treat minor burns in your family? Leave a note in the section below.